Myths & Truths

TRUTH: NO, they cannot. Anti-wrinkle creams are moisturizers. The “workhorse” of any over-the counter anti-wrinkle cream is its ability to hydrate the skin. As moisturizers, these products increase the water content in the most superficial layers of skin temporarily improving the appearance of very fine lines. “Anti-aging” ingredients are added to these moisturizers, which are then marketed as rejuvenating. Because the FDA considers over-the-counter skincare products as having no medical value, efficacy of these claims does not have to be proven. If you are looking for “the fountain of youth” in a bottle, you will not find it in over-the-counter skincare products.

MYTH:Expensive skincare products are more effective than less expensive ones.

TRUTH: NO, they are not. There is NO correlation between the cost of a product and its ability to hydrate the skin. An array of affordable moisturizers just as effective as their expensive counterparts are readily available in local drugstores and supermarkets.

MYTH: I need to use anti-wrinkle creams to look my best.

TRUTH: NO, you do not. Most dermatologists agree that the best anti-aging product available on the market today is sunscreen. Protecting the skin from harmful rays during the day with the application of broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and sun avoidance is most beneficial in fighting skin aging. In addition, applying a daily moisturizer hydrates the skin giving it a more youthful appearance.

MYTH:Skincare products containing "Natural" ingredients are safer and more effective.

TRUTH: NO, they are not. "Natural" ingredients include herbs, oils, roots, and flowers from plants. These botanically derived ingredients are not incorporated into skincare products in their natural state. Neither crushed up leaves nor pressed mushrooms can dissolve adequately into a skincare product. To be compounded into moisturizers they must be processed and chemically modified thereby losing their original “natural” form. There is little scientific evidence that applying products containing plants extracts is beneficial.